On a Far Away Current II
Meet Again and Then...?! At the edge of Tenkyūden, deep within the Royal Palace, Raian looked out on the deep skies which floated infinitely above the Soul Society, which was somewhere below. One hundred years had passed since he had last seen his once good comrades. Taking a deep breath before sighing, Raian lifted himself back onto the disk that contained the city he now ruled over. He had to admit; he had come to love the Tenkyūden, and its residents. He had even grown to see the other members of the Royal Guard as his comrades, despite their past woes. However, his relatively peaceful thinking was disturbed by the arrival of Gamma Akutabi. "There you are." he stated, walking forward and giving Raian a friendly pat on the shoulders. "Reminiscing on the past again?" "How can I not?" Raian scoffed. "Just by being here, I'm betraying them. It makes my soul sick." Gamma studied him for sometime before speaking again, "I know you hate us for what happened then, and maybe you have a right to, but there is no use in sulking over it for a century." he explained. "Who knows? Maybe your paths will cross again." Raian sighed again, turning his gaze to the blue skies bellow once more, "Why is it you came here, Gamma?" he asked. "You're needed in the Human World." Gamma replied, not wasting a breath. "The Gotei 13 has already deployed , but things look bleak." Raian looked up in shock, "Isshin?" he snapped, "Where? Where have they sent him?" "Rider City." Gamma replied. "Now, you might want to—" Raian didn't wait to hear anymore. Grabbing his Zanpakutō, the stocky Shinigami threw himself over the edge of the disk which held the Tenkyūden, hurling himself into the world below. "Always in a rush..." Gamma huffed, turning and walking back into the city. "He didn't even bother to listen to why he was going there." The cold air of Soul Society rushed past Raian's face, stinging it like ravenous bees, and turning his cheeks a bright hue of crimson red. Though he was moving at incredible speeds, he had still not breached the distance between the King's realm and Soul Society. Within minutes, however, the top of the Seireitei was coming into sight. SMASH!!! A plume of dust, smoke, and earth shot into the air, leaving a large debris cloud as Raian connected with the ground, tearing the ground asunder upon impact. Without wasting a second, Raian flicked his hands out in front of him, casting Kidō wordlessly, ripping a tunnel between the worlds. A Hell Butterfly fluttered furiously down behind him, turning the Senkaimon white as the Human World came into sight. "Hang in there, Isshin..." Raian thought, carelessly throwing himself through the boundary between worlds after his former subordinate. The Fated City Isshin panted heavily, sweat pooling on his forehead. From the smoke of his most recent attack emerged a long, white-haired Hollow, seemingly unfazed by the Shinigami captain's efforts. Isshin winced, glancing down at a deep wound in his hip, recently received from the Hollow. "Damn... this is not good." Isshin panted. "Exactly what kind of Hollow is this?!" In an instant, the Hollow disappeared, slamming its horned elbow into the back of Isshin's neck, sending him flying below, smashing violently into the streets below. Try as he might, though, he could not pick himself up from the crater this time. He couldn't even afford to call out his Bankai, due to his wounds. As the Hollow closed in for the finishing strike, Isshin clamped his eyes shut resigning himself to death. SMASH!!! The shockwave nearly crushed Isshin and though he couldn't muster up any remaining strength, sensing a familiar presence, Isshin slowly opened one of his eyes, only to see the visage of his former captain, Raian Getsueikirite, holding the Hollow back with his Zanpakutō. "Raian...taichō...?!" Isshin managed weakly. "You're the captain now, Isshin. Stand up and act like it." Raian grunted, shoving the Hollow off of him. "Raian... wait... he's...!" Isshin tried to warn. "Don't say anything else." Raian snapped. "I already know... that Hollow, is undoubtedly, Seireitou Kawahiru..." The Grey Hollow Isshin lay motionless on the streets of the city, staring surprised up at his former captain, whom he hadn't seen in over a hundred years. The man fearlessly faced his former friend, Seireitou Kawahiru, who had been turned into the grotesque form standing before them. Despite the unwavering loyalty Raian felt towards his friend, he stared without wavering at the Hollow before him, hand gently resting on his sword. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the Hollow roared, releasing an enormous amount of foul spiritual pressure into the air. Suddenly, the beast released its hold on Raian, leaping back with inhuman speed. Leaping forward, Raian swiped his Zanpakutō, but the Hollow proved to be far too quick. The Hollow's retaliation was just as quick. Snapping forward, the Hollow Seireitou struck out with its clawed forearm, attempting to crush Raian's skull in one blow. Releasing his weapon into Shikai with but a thought, Raian gathered his reiatsu into the blade, opening up a flow between it and the world around it. In one swift slash, he unleashed a torrent of energy, hitting the Hollow dead on, and repelling it into a nearby building. "Taichō!" Isshin roared, struggling to push himself from his resting place. "Stay there, Isshin!" Raian snapped. "You're too injured to assist." Without warning, other than a large explosion piercing the skies, the Hollow tore itself from the rubble and flung itself towards Raian once again. The Royal Guard member barely had enough time to block with his sword. Grunting, Raian once more threw the Hollow off of him. The two continued to clash, causing massive concussions to ring out through the air. Finally, Raian landed. Though not injured, he was sweating from his brow, heaving heavily from fatigue. "I just don't get it. His power is tremendous. More than it was before he was Hollowfized. Just how did he get into this state?" Raian wondered, surveying the Hollow as it approached. "At this rate... he could be in serious danger." "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the Hollow Seireitou bellowed, its voice seeming to rip the sky. "My only option is to kill it with my next attack. If I don't, I'll be a sitting duck. I'd really hate to use Bankai against you, old friend." Raian resolved. However, he would never get to take another step. With a flash of renewed speed, the Hollow leaped forward, closing the distance between them in mere milliseconds. With one lunge, it sunk its fangs into Raian's shoulder, sending shockwaves of pain throughout his body and blood sputtering everywhere, staining his snow-white haori. "RAIAN!" Isshin roared helplessly. The horribly foul energy now flooding Raian's system began to throw off all of his senses. His sight was now flickering and he could feel his consciousness slipping. His strength was failing him, preventing him from raising his sword to fight back against the monster. The pressure in his shoulder, which had now numbed, released as the Hollow withdrew, preparing for the final blow. As Raian submitted himself to his fate, Isshin's cries now beginning to fade, he saw a flash from the corner of his eye, followed by an arrow sailing into the Hollow's chest. He then blacked out. Awakening Raian awoke with a start, throwing sheets off of him with fury. His body was drenched in sweat. The sudden movement sent fresh pain jolting through his shoulder, causing him to grip it in agony. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings, noticing he was in a hospital bed, reminiscent of the Fourth Division's barracks. His young wife, Jacqueline Getsueikirite, sat beside him, holding his hand while his toddler son slept peacefully beside him. "What happened?" he finally asked, hoarsely. "Someone had to save your ass, that's what." Jacqueline retorted sarcastically. "That light... that must've been your arrow. Right?" Raian continued, ignoring her humor. "Of course." she replied mater-of-factually. "So then, Seireitou is..." "Not dead." Jacqueline interjected. "Actually, it surprised me too. My arrow did something to him. The transformation receded and he blacked out too. When I left, he was still breathing." Raian sighed in relief, "That makes me feel better. I wonder what caused that to happen to him..." he pondered. "So, you're finally awake, champ." a deep, burly voice said, entering the room. It was Isshin, himself patched up, though he was able to wear his basic shihakushō over his bandages. He wore his trademark grin and seemed almost bemused by his former captain's predicament. "Isshin, you're okay." Raian sighed, another relief. "Of course I am! My wounds were much less severe than yours. Just a few bad bruises and a broken rib. A Hollow bite is much worse." the young captain replied. "I can tell." Raian winced, another jab of pain going through him. Just then, toddler Hake sighed in his sleep, stirring the three adults' attentions. After a brief moment of staring, all three broke out into jovial laughter, with Raian scooping the youngster up into his arms, carefully, so as not to wake him, and cradling him in a fatherly manner. A happy moment of silence replaced the laughter as Raian cradled his son, Jacqueline leaning over to watch, careful not to brush her husband's wound. Isshin narrowed his eyes and let his smile soften. "You know, captain." he began, catching Raian's attention. "A century ago, you were a newlywed and bent out of shape about protecting your old buddies. But, from the looks of things, you should worry more about protecting that precious one in your hands there. Seireitou and the others can take care of themselves for now..." "Perhaps..." Raian replied, glancing down at his son to ponder Isshin's statement. Suddenly, an intense wave of pain shot throughout his body, causing him to gasp in agony. Realizing her husband's torment, she quickly snatched their son so that he would not drop him. Grasping at his chest, Raian's breathing became labored as the pain intensified. "Seventh Seat, get in here!" Isshin yelped frantically. As he did, Raian slowly released his chest, revealing a small hole opening up on him. Isshin was the first to catch sight of this, causing his eyes to widen considerably. "Oh no!" he gasped. "That Hollow's bite had far worst effects, it would seem." Just then, the Fourth Division's Seventh Seat burst into the room, revealing it to be none other than a youthful . Upon entering the room, Urahara immediately noticed the severity of the situation and rushed to Raian's bedside. "This is now a worst-case-scenario situation, folks." he announced after only a few seconds of examinations. "I need you both to tell me as much about the attack as you can." Jacqueline recounted the story of how Raian had fought the Hollow to a standstill before being overpowered and bitten. She then explained how she had arrived and her arrow had been enough to recede Seireitou's own transformation and allow her to have enough time to escape with Raian. "Your arrow, eh?" Urahara replied in his eccentric tone. "That cannot be a coincidence." "What do you mean?" Jacqueline asked, worry now readily apparent in her voice. "I'm sort of a Hollow fanatic, so I've studied up on them a bit." Urahara began. "What is happening to your husband is called Hollowfication. There is no known cure for it, and yet, what you've just said, is that your arrow reversed Seireitou-san's transformation." "I still don't understand the significance." Jacqueline snapped. "Its quite simple really. As a Quincy, though you are a soul here in Soul Society, you still have traces of your human self. You are, what we'd call, the polar opposite of a Hollow. It could be that your soul, infused within your energy, which was within that arrow, provided a blockade for the rampant Hollow energy within his body. I'd imagine, though, that it is only a temporary fix. You see, that arrow only has a finite source of energy. However, if I were to connect it to, say, a more direct source of power, the fix could be permanent." "I'm afraid I still don't understand." Jacqueline sighed. "How far are you willing to go for your husband?" Urahara suddenly asked, the seriousness of his voice demanding an equally serious answer. "I'd die for him, if it came down to it." Jacqueline barked in response. "I'm not asking you to go that far, but with current technology, there is only one way to prevent Hollowfication." Urahara replied. "You must give up your life as a Quincy and tie your soul forever to his." Jacqueline seemed somewhat stunned, "Give up my life as a Quincy?" she asked. "I am going to tie your souls together, using special Kidō only known to the Fourth Division. This will cause a constant stream of your human soul and Quincy energy to enter his body. In doing so, he'll stabilize, but you will be unable to access your Quincy powers. Absorbing and controlling spirit energy, sensing energy, even fast movement will be impossible for you." Urahara clarified. "I see..." Jacqueline sighed. "Very well, if that is my only choice, please do the procedure." "Of course." Urahara smiled softly. "Its quite poetic, actually. A married couple, forever tying their souls to one another's to protect the other from evil." With that, Urahara held up his hands, and the room was bathed in light. Inside Raian's inner world, the large trees of the forest within his conscious burned brightly. Above him, the giant mask of the Hollow he had fought just a day prior loomed over him. In another sudden burst of light, an arrow ripped through the Hollow's visage, shattering it. Looking behind him, Raian was surprised to see his wife standing behind him, a soft, loving smile on her face. "Jackie..." Raian muttered softly. "Hey, its like I said." Jacqueline's voice rang out through the world, echoing in Raian's mind. "''Someone around here has to save your ass. And I'll be damned if its anyone but me!" End...